Mengel Pass Road

This gnarly climb over the Funeral Mountains’ shoulder separates the tourists from the serious desert rats, starting in Death Valley’s depths and clawing up loose shale slopes to a 4200-foot saddle. The road was punched through by miners in the 1930s who needed to haul ore from the Chloride Cliff mines, and it still shows—rock slides, washouts, and grades steep enough to cook your clutch if you’re not careful. At the pass, you get 360-degree views of Death Valley’s salt flats stretching to infinity and the Sierra Nevada rising like a wall 100 miles west.

Difficult rating earned through steep, loose surfaces that’ll test your line choice and momentum management. Stock 4WD with low range and skid plates mandatory—this route eats oil pans and sidewalls. Best season runs November through March when temps stay bearable; summer attempts are suicidal. No water, no cell service, no bailouts once you commit. Bring spare tires, full recovery kit, and enough water for three days. You’ll earn legitimate bragging rights and some of Death Valley’s most remote backcountry solitude.